From Letters Written by or on Behalf of Shoghi Effendi
On the election day, the friends must whole-heartedly participate in the elections, in unity and amity, turning their hearts to God, detached from all things but Him, seeking His guidance and supplicating His aid and bounty.
(27 February 1923 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of the East—translated from the Persian) [1]
Again I earnestly appeal to every one of you, and renew my only request with all the ardour of my conviction, to make before and during the coming Convention yet another effort, this time more spontaneous and selfless than before, and endeavour to approach your task—the election of your delegates as well as your national and local representatives—with that purity of spirit that can alone obtain our Beloved’s most cherished desire....
(23 February 1924 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of America, published in “Bahá’í Administration: Selected Messages 1922-1932” [rev. ed.], (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1980), p. 65) [2]
In discharging this sacred function no influence whatever, no pressure from any quarter, even though it be from the National Assembly, should under any circumstances affect their views or restrict their freedom. The delegates must be wholly independent of any administrative agency, must approach their task with absolute detachment and must concentrate their attention on the most important and pressing issues.
(12 August 1933 written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, published in “The National Spiritual Assembly”, compiled by the Universal House of Justice (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1972), p. 24) [3]
Such a rectitude of conduct must manifest itself, with ever-increasing potency, in every verdict which the elected representatives of the Bahá’í community, in whatever capacity they may find themselves, may be called upon to pronounce.... It must be exemplified in the conduct of all Bahá’í electors, when exercising their sacred rights and functions....
(25 December 1938 written by Shoghi Effendi to the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, published as “The Advent of Divine Justice” (Wilmette: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1984), p. 26) [4]
From Communications Written by the Universal House of Justice
The conditions of limited manpower, of difficulties in travelling and of illiteracy among the local people are found in varying degrees in other countries of the world, and we have always and everywhere urged the National Spiritual Assemblies concerned to guide and teach the friends in proper Bahá’í administrative procedures, not only during the weeks immediately preceding local elections but indeed throughout the year, so that the friends would await the advent of Riḍván with anticipation and determine to observe and uphold correct principles of Bahá’í administration.
(From a letter dated 24 September 1973 to a National Spiritual Assembly) [5]
The aim should always be so to educate the friends during the year that they consider their participation in Bahá’í elections not only as a right they exercise, but as a spiritual obligation which, when discharged in the proper Bahá’í spirit, contributes to the health and growth of the Bahá’í community.
(From a memorandum dated 18 June 1980 to the International Teaching Centre) [6]